5 projects using 5" squares

We stopped at a quilt shop in Kansas City on our way to Texas last month and when I saw these fabrics the thought of an email from my daughter-in-law popped into my head.  Last January she had sent a link to some dish mats that she liked and wondered if I could help her make some.  I thought this fabric would be perfect for a dish mat or two.  The design for the mat also popped into my head as soon as I saw the fabric.

Her birthday last week was just the deadline I needed to make one for her.  If you are wondering where the 5" squares are, they are cut into 2 1/2" squares.  I used 5 coordinating nickel squares of assorted colors, 5 white ones, a fat quarter  and some terry cloth to make this dish mat.  The dish mats she saw are no longer available but the site she saw them on has a tutorial on how to make them.  My mat is not made like the one in the tutorial but it does have a terry cloth back as does the one in the tutorial.  I stitched along the edge on my first try at making this dish mat and did not like how wavy the edge looked.  On the one shown above, I stitched along the edges of the center section instead and like the result much better.

Since I had last said that I need to make some smaller projects, I continued with the kitchen theme to make some coordinating items.  I made 2 styles of pot holders,                        

                                             

     (Both use 4 nickel squares.) 
 

 a mug rug, and a couple of fingertip pot holders.

 These little pot holders are so easy to make and come in so handy that I decided to provide a tutorial-

1.  You need four 5" squares and one 5" square of batting.  Fold two of the squares in half.

2.  Layer one square right side down, batting, one square right side up, and the two squares that have been folded.  The folded edges need to meet at the center.  Place a CD on top of the stack and draw around it.

3.  Sew 1/4" inside the circle.  Cut on the drawn line.

4.  Turn inside out.  Stitch around the edge or tack the ends as shown.

     

These little potholders can also be used as coasters for your wine glasses!

Just 5 months to go

There are only 5 months left for my Double Nickel Quilt Challenge and my 55th year.  In honor of this, I have put all of the Double Nickel Quilt Challenge patterns on sale for $5.00 each for the next 5 months.  From July 9 to December 9, 2011, you may purchase any of the patterns as downloads for $5.00!  Don't forget to download the FREE patterns also.   They are an example of how I write patterns.

Boy does time fly! So where am I in this challenge?  I have made 21 quilts and 2 mug rugs.  Four of the quilts need quilted and 2 are ready for binding. I have a pile of hexagons, a pile of 4 patch blocks and a pile of half square triangle blocks waiting to be made into quilts. I have written 14 patterns.  My original idea for the challenge was to design 55 patterns using 5" squares meaning that I would just come up with 55 ideas and draw them up in Electric Quilt.  Well, that is not as easy as it may seem.  From computer to fabric does not always translate well.  So, I decided I needed to make the quilts.  I figured I could do this if I made small quilts.  After all, we have 20 young grandchildren that can use them.  But sometimes I get carried away and make a big quilt like the Nickel Snowball quilt which is finally quilted and bound.

Here's a closeup of the quilting design done by Linda of L&R Designs.  It's a wonderful pantograph design called "Bubbles" that I think fits this quilt perfectly.

I will never reach my goal if I make any more this big!  Expect to see many small projects from here on out.  They will still be projects that use 5" squares just smaller and maybe not quilts per se.  Even I don't know what I'll do next!

                     

FREE pattern added

I can't believe it has been over a month since I posted my last quilt.  It's been a very busy summer so far.  We took a 12 day trip to Texas where my husband won a gold medal in doubles bowling at the Senior Olympic games!  We visited with one of my brothers, my sister-in-law and a niece that live in Austin too.  For the long ride to Texas from Iowa, I grabbed a stack of nickel squares of Kaffe Fassett fabrics and some 2" paper hexagons at the last minute to try my hand at English paper piecing.  It's actually quite easy.  A 5" square is just the right size for a 2" hexagon.

  Here's what I accomplished-

68 hexagons

I have an idea of what I want to do with them but haven't tried it yet.  That will be another post.
Two days after we got back from vacation, I went to a 3 day quilt retreat.  I worked on this quilt and started on 20 flannel bibs for my daughter's daycare business. Who knows when the bibs will be finished!  I used 64 half square triangle blocks, 80 four patch blocks and 52 two patch blocks from those that I made on Memorial Day weekend. This quilt still needs a name and has not been quilted yet.

My Nickel in a Box quilt pattern is now available as a FREE pattern along with my Bright Shiny Nickels quilt pattern.  Both patterns are much easier to access.  You do not have to enter any information or put them in a shopping cart any more.  I hope this helps those who were having trouble getting them.

                   Bright Shiny Nickel FREE pattern                  Nickel in a Box FREE pattern

Criss Cross Stars

I decided to use more of the many half square triangle blocks that I made over Memorial Day weekend as a border on my I See Stars quilt. I call the new version, Criss Cross Stars.

I think the borders add alot of interest so I'm glad that I used 64 more of the half square triangle blocks and arranged them like I did in my Triangles Askew quilt.  The inner border was made from strips that were in my stash also.  Now, I just need to piece the backing and off to my long arm quilter it goes.  I'll post again when it's quilted and bound but now it's time to head off on vacation!

I See Stars quilt



I See Stars quilt top

                                                                  
I had a four day weekend on Memorial Day weekend and was able to sew every day at least part of the day.  I spent my time sewing piles of nickel squares into 4 patch blocks and half square triangle blocks in an attempt to use what I have and reduce my fabric stash.  Did you know that 2 nickel squares will make 2 half square triangle blocks that are 4 1/2" square or 2 four patch blocks that are 4 1/2" square?  I figured I couldn't go wrong by sewing up a bunch of these blocks since they end up the same size and both are common units in many larger quilt blocks.

I sorted some nickel squares into piles of 20 of 8 different colors and paired a nickel square of light fabric with each one. These squares became 320 half square triangle blocks. I sorted more squares into piles of 25 of 8 different colors and paired those with a light fabric to make 400 four patch blocks.  I wonder how many quilts I can make out of these blocks!

My first quilt to use these blocks is titled I See Stars and used 96 4-patch blocks and 96 half square triangle blocks.  Can you see the stars?  Each row is made of star blocks but there is also a secondary star pattern.  Here's the star block-

Look at all those ugly fabrics used together!  The contrast of light and dark is what's most important to this quilt design.  The star block is made of four smaller units that are four patch blocks made from two half square triangle blocks and two 4 patch blocks.

To make the half square triangle blocks, I just draw a line from corner to corner on the back of my light nickel square, place it right sides together with the dark nickel square and sew 1/4" from each side of the line and cut down the middle on the drawn line.  I do square up each block even though I don't like taking the time to do it.  It just makes the piecing more accurate and faster in the long run.
I use the June Tailor Perfect Half and Quarter Square Triangles Ruler to make my blocks this way.

This quilt is not quilted yet as my long arm quilter's son is getting married next weekend.  Can't wait to see how she quilts this one!